Brace construction.



J. PEGORD.

BRAGE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 13, 1912.

1,070,523, Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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JERRY PECORD, OF WILLARD, ILLINOIS.

BRACE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JERRY Pnconi), a citizen of the United States, residing at -Willard, in the county of Alexander, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brace Construction; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tools and more particularly to that class of tools known as brace and bit.

An object of the invention is to provide a brace of improved character and having automatic locking means for locking the bit in the squared bit socket in the forward end of said brace.

Another object is to provide a brace having atwo part pawl with an operating lever connected to one end and means for resiliently retaining the pawl. in engagement with the bit for retaining the same within the socket provided. in the forward end of said brace.

With the above objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claim.

I the accompanying drawing forming part of this spec1fication:-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the forward portion of a brace with a bit secured in the square socket and held in position by my improved locking mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the socket member of the brace and the locking mechanism carried thereby. Fig. 3 is a view at rightangles to Fig. 2, showing the lever depressed and the parts of the lock ing mechanism in unlocked position. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 55 Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the two part locking pawl removed.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts, 10 designates in general the brace having the square socket member 11.

The square socket member 11 has the square bit receiving socket 20 in its forward end to receive the tapered squared end 21.

Patented Ari 19,1913.

Serial No. 697,007.

of the bit 22. Engaged in front of the shoulders 23 of the squared end 22 is the bit engaging part 24 of the two partlocking pawl which is designated in general by the numeral 25. The part 24 of the locking pawl works through the opening 26 in one square wall of the socket member 11 and has an ear 24 extending at rightangles from its rear portion, outwardly of the socket member 11. The parallel ears 27 formed at the forward portion of the second part 28 of the pawl 25 by bifurcating the said for ward end, are pivoted upon opposite sides of the car 24 by means of the pivot pin 29 which serves to connect the two parts of the locking pawl 25.

Slightly rearwardly of the parallel ears 27, a stop shoulder 30 is formed upon the upper face of the second part 28 of the pawl 25 by cutting away a slight portion of the upper face of said part 28, from the shoulder 30 to the rear end of said second part, which rear end is rounded and extended at opposite directions at rightangles to the main portion of the part 28, to form the circular bearing portions 31 and 32.

The ear 24 and parallel cars 27 are of such form that the movement of said car 24 is limited and thus held in proper position. Further, should. the ear 24 become disengaged from the opening 26, it will assume a position directly opposite said opening and may be readily returned to the latter. The ear 24 however, is free to move between the parallel cars 27 for its limited distance to permit of proper movement of the part 24 in the opening 26 and also to permit of proper engagement of the free edge thereof with the bit 22. Previous to inserting the part 24 of the locking pawl 25 in the opening 26, the part 28 of said locking pawl is placed in position by holding the pawl at substantially a rightangle to the socket member 11 and passing the rounded rear end of the pawl between the spaced bearing arms 33 then sliding said rounded rear end along the transverse groove 34 until the bearing portion 32 is positioned through the bearing 35 at one end of the groove 34 and the bearing portion 31 is between the bearing arms 33, it being understood that the pawl. is of less thickness than the space between the tips of said arms, when the bit engaging part 24 may be readily swung to its position in the opening 26. The bearing portion 32 is continued beyond the bearing 35 and provided with a reduced portion to receive the handle 36, the extremity of the bearing portion 32 being terminally equipped with a nut 37 to hold the handle in proper position upon the reduced portion. The handle 36 extends along one side of the socket member 11 and it may be readily operated to swing the locking pawl 25 within the bearing arms 33 and the bearing 35, to disengage the part 24 of said pawl from the bit 22, as will be clearly apparent.

Engaged upon the thin portion of the part 28 of the locking pawl 25 is the free end of the leaf spring 38, the rear end of which is carried upon the bolt 39 positioned through the socket member 11, and the tension of the spring may be readily adjusted by means of the nut 40 upon the end of the bolt 39. The lug 41 is carried by the rear end of the spring 38 and is engaged in the notch 4-2 in the socket member 11 to prevent said spring from swinging upon the bolt 39. The free end of the spring 38 presses against the sec 0nd part 28 of the pawl 25 and resiliently retains the said pawl properly engaged forwardly of the shoulder 23 of the squared end of the bit 22, within the socket 20 of the socket member 11. In inserting the bit 22, however, it is simply necessary to force the squared end thereof into the socket 20, said squared end forcing the part 24 outwardly in the opening 26 until the shoulders 23 have passed the part, when the latter will auto matically assume its normal position forwardly of said shoulder and prevent removal or withdrawal of the bit 22.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a brace and bit having locking mechanism for automatically and securely locking the bit within the socket member 11 of the brace, the construction and operation of the lockand bearing upon the front face of saidmember, and a tooth projecting from the end of said shank and entering the bore of said socket member, a circular bearing ournaling one end of said ournal, a pair of curved lips embracing the opposite end of said journal and having their tips spaced apart a greater distance than the thickness of said shank whereby said pawl may be removed or ap- )lied b 7 aositionin said shank at a ri2'ht-- l l a: c

angle to said socket member and shifting the pawl laterally whereby said shank passes between the tips of said curved arms, a leaf spring secured to said socket-member and bearing terminally against said pawl and normally holding said pawl in operative position, and a handle secured to one extremity of said journal outside of said circular bearing and projecting upwardly along the side of said socket member.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JERRY PECORD.

lVitnesses GEO. BOEOKER, Jnssin BOECKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the- Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

